My Rebellious Luna

6. Challenge me

ALPHA LUKE POV

My parents disappeared the entire rest of the weekend. It’s not like I don’t know where they are, but they are clearly avoiding me. They finally showed up at the pack house this morning and asked me to meet them in their office for lunch. As soon as they walk in, you could get frostbite from the cold shoulder my mother is giving my father. They took a seat, not before my mother pulled her chair as far away from my father as possible. While remaining in front of my desk, I think I’ve been more than patient enough at this point.

“Alright, I’ve never pried but what is going on with you two? It’s clear that the visit from Alpha Adam on Saturday aggravated a sore subject. One that clearly has to do with him thinking he has rights to my pack. I think I deserve to know since it directly affects me and the pack.” I said, exasperated. “Finally, some balls. Where were you hiding them?” Art mocks. I didn’t bother responding. He’s upset since I let Alpha Adam leave with his head intact.

My father looks over to my mother, who looks away. “Luke, before I met your mother I had resigned myself to take a chosen Mate.” My father paused when my mother whimpered and flinched. She made it seem as if he hit her. Was it really that offensive to give up hope? I knew my parents didn’t find each other until my father was nearly thirty. He probably felt like I did, like he was never going to meet her. “You both lack faith… and balls.” Art grumbles and disappears into the back of my mind.

“She was an Alpha’s daughter from the Dark Shadows Pack. We planned to formalize our mating after I returned from an Alpha gathering. I met your mother at that gathering at the Night Walker Pack in Montana.” The dots were connecting easily enough but I didn’t want it to be true. It would be easy enough to break a commitment like the one my father had with Dark Shadows. He hadn’t marked and mated after all. Meeting his mate was a valid reason for backing out.

Anyone with a fated mate could understand that, but it can’t be that simple. “You had a child with her… didn’t you?” I asked, already knowing the answer. He nodded his head and looked down, feeling ashamed of himself. My mother was sobbing and now that I finally understood her grief, I felt bad I wasn’t there for her like I should have been. “I didn’t know at the time, not until you were fifteen. That’s when Alpha Greg from Dark Shadows came to visit and informed me that Isabella had gotten pregnant by me and had a child. He is only older than you by a few months.” He sighed as if getting that out somehow relieved some pressure from within him.

I still didn’t get it though. Why wait fifteen years to tell someone they had a child outside of the bond? I understood that my mother felt jealous, but this was before her and she ended up with him. He’s not telling me everything, there has to be more. “That can’t be all, I need to know everything.” I pushed.

My mother finally turns to me and lets out a deep breath. It was clear that she was doing her best not to break down and sob once more. “At first, Alpha Greg did not plan on letting your father know about his son. He didn’t think he deserved the honor. Isabelle had died during a rogue attack. With her last breath she asked for her son to be raised by his father. Greg had no choice but to respect her wishes and finally tell your father about his first born.” She spit out those last two words as if they were poison. “Rose…” My father pleaded but she glared at him.

I understand a little more now. She was not only upset that he didn’t wait for her but he shared his bloodline with that woman. Making him the true heir to this pack… my pack. “So this pack belongs to him?” I asked in disbelief. “Absolutely not!” My mother snapped. “I explained to Alpha Greg that I had a family and I couldn’t possibly take Adam in at this point. He was already a teenager, almost a young adult. He would have no claim on this pack because that right belonged to you. Greg seemed happy that he was going to have an heir to take his place, since he had no sons. I suppose everything worked out in the end.” My father explained.

I couldn’t help feeling relief and guilt at the same time. Firth born sons were passed up as Alpha’s on rare occasions, based on their performance, attitudes or if they didn’t meet expectations. This situation was different, but at the end of the day, my father, the former Alpha, had the right to choose the next Alpha from his bloodline. Even someone outside of his bloodline if it came to it. If Adam wanted my spot, he would have to challenge me, there was no way I was going to hand it over.

“Is that everything?” I asked cautiously. My father nodded and I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him. He had made some mistakes, ones that were all too easy to make. He didn’t wait for his fated mate, slept with his chosen mate before mating and marking her. Anyone could make those mistakes. I felt like my mother was being a little petty, but I could be biased since I was close to taking a chosen mate until I heard their horror story.

“Mom, can I ask you something?” I needed to be very careful with my next words. She smiled and nodded at me. “What about everything that happened are you still upset about?” She stiffened and she frowned at me. “I’m not saying what my dad did was right or that you shouldn’t be upset. I just want to know.” I explained, hoping she understood I wasn’t taking sides. “Your father was quick to say that he told Alpha Greg he wouldn’t take Adam in. What he didn’t tell you is that he tried to convince me to not only take him into the family, but to give him your place as Alpha.” She said indignantly.

As upset as I was that my father had originally wanted to give Adam my place, he was within his right. We are both his sons and he is the former Alpha. “It’s within his right, if he asked me now I would give Adam the pack. Since that’s what he originally wanted.” I said with a heavy heart. Art was growling in my head but wouldn’t argue. He respected his former Alpha, even if it gutted him.

“This pack is not his to give. When your father took over this pack from his father, it had about fifty pack members and was struggling. The Nigh Walkers pack had over nine hundred members. The largest pack at the time. As a gift to me, my father asked for two-hundred volunteers to move to Golden Moon. That included fifty warriors and twenty high-ranking wolves with Beta, Gamma and Delta blood. They helped build this pack into what it is now. Over three hundred warriors and six hundred pack members.” Her voice held pride and authority.

I had known our history, the alliance we had with the Night Walker pack had grown ours exponentially. I had no idea that it was my grandfather’s gift to my mother. For her mate to pass up her first-born son as Alpha after her original pack sacrificed so much… it really was in bad taste. These were her people and he was so quick to choose his first born when if it wasn’t for her, he wouldn’t have a pack. I’m more certain than before of what needs to be done. As soon as my parents left my office, I called Alpha Adam.

“Hello brother. Are you ready to hand over the pack?” Adam’s smug greeting washed away all of the guilt I felt about him being cast aside.

He ended up running a pack. The only thing I do feel bad about is the fact that he lost his mother and never had his father. That doesn’t justify him wanting my pack, a second pack. “You can have my pack when you challenge me for it and win.” I stated and hung up the phone. There was nothing else to be said. He had two choices, challenge me or come here and point his anger where it belonged. My father.

Even if it upset my mother, he should have fought to be a part of his son’s life. She might have been open to the idea if he hadn’t tried to take away her legacy by giving it to someone that wasn’t her bloodline. He owed her that much. Her father, my grandfather, knew she wouldn’t survive with a struggling pack. That’s why he allied himself with Golden Moon and helped make it what it is.